


Moment of Quiet

by pencilguin



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Angst, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:09:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28817601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pencilguin/pseuds/pencilguin
Summary: [episode 1x03] Hugh finds and comforts Paul after the news from the Glenn.
Relationships: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets, Paul Stamets & Justin Straal
Comments: 7
Kudos: 35
Collections: USS Spaceboos ficlets and snippets





	Moment of Quiet

**Author's Note:**

> Writing has been... not really happening lately, so until that comes back I'm trying to clean up some old ficlets I wrote but never shared outside the Culmets Discord, and posting them here. (And this time I'll try to not just post one and then forget about this plan again...)  
> This one is almost a year old and it's not beta-read. Sorry if there are any mistakes.

After engineering, Hugh tries their quarters and that’s where he finds Paul.

“Honey?”

Paul’s sitting on the edge of the bed, his head bent down, hands folded between his knees. It seems to take him forever to look up. His eyes are red; he looks like he’s in shock.

Hugh walks over to sit down next to him, putting one arm around his shoulders and the other hand on Paul’s thigh. He’s trembling.

“I got the note that Lorca’s sending out an away team and you were on the manifest,” Hugh says with a quiet and gentle voice. “What happened?”

When Paul speaks, it’s raw and fragile. “The Glenn had an accident. They’re all presumed dead.” He cracks on the last word.

_Straal_. Hugh bites his own lip to stop it from trembling. He knew a few of the other people on the ship, of course, old and new acquaintances that he will sorely miss. But he knows how important Straal is — was — to Paul. “I’m so sorry, darling.”

He pulls Paul into his arms, who draws a raspy breath against Hugh’s chest.

“I can declare you unfit for this mission,” Hugh says after a few moments, staring into the distance, thinking, as he rocks them both slightly back and forth to comfort Paul. “If you don’t want to go. Lorca can’t force you to face this.”

It takes a moment before he gets a response. “No, I have to. We need to recover the tech from — from engineering…” Another pause, before he chokes out, “Maybe… maybe there’s a tiny chance that he’s still…”

Hugh nods, knowing that Paul can feel it even if he doesn’t see him. He doesn’t have the heart for any words of reassurance, not with how clearly he hears the doubt in Paul’s own voice.

After a few more minutes in silence, Paul mumbles, “I have to go. We’ll be leaving in fifteen minutes.”

He slowly pulls out of Hugh’s embrace and wipes at his eyes and his nose. Getting up, he turns to Hugh before heading to the bathroom to wash his face and erase the traces of vulnerability that no-one on the ship besides Hugh is privy to.

“Thank you, Hugh.”

Returning his gaze, Hugh tries to think of what to say to him, how to reassure him or offer comfort. But ultimately, there’s only one thing to say.

“I love you, Paul. Please stay safe out there.”

Silently, Paul nods.

Hugh accompanies him as he heads to the armory to prepare for the mission, offers to help him with the fastenings of his tactical vest, just so his hands and his mind have something to focus on. Then he sees him off in the hangar bay where their shuttle departs, before returning to medbay where all he can do is wait, his mind always on Paul, praying for his safe return and anxious to hold him close again and be there for him through his grief.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thank you so much to everyone who leaves lovely and supportive comments on my fics! Even if I usually don’t know how to adequately respond to them, please be assured that they make me super happy and brighten my day! <3


End file.
